A Brief History of Seven Killings breaks some very strong taboos – and its writer says he feared becoming a victim of homophobic rageOne of the most remarkable things approximately Marlon James’s A Brief History of Seven Killings is the way he has managed to achieve a blend of standard English and Jamaican patois – despite the fact that these languages are still major faultlines in his homeland,where they define perceptions (and the reality) of status and worth.
Patois, which began to be elevated from mere street language to a bona fide medium of artistic expression by the now-deceased folklorist Louise Bennett, and is slowly being accepted as a means of literary discourse. The linguistic shame is retreating. There is a growing realisation that patois can’t be silenced whether authentic characterisations of Jamaica and Jamaicans are to be achieved. James’s winning of the Booker prize goes a long way toward an official affirmation of the parity of creole with English,and burnishes its literary qualities – as vibrant, direct and digestible – even among readers who are unschooled in Jamaican language and culture.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com